If you’ve spent any significant time here at The Glow Up, you likely know that in addition to being a devoted managing editor, I’m also a veteran plus model. Matter of fact, I just celebrated my 20th year in the business (woot-woot!). But as much as I love the fashion industry—and the fuller side of it, in particular—in 20 years, I’ve had far too few fashion moments to truly celebrate. And I say that as a woman who’s vacillated between the relatively easily shoppable range of size 10-14 most of my adult life.
I say “relatively” because although it’s long been recognized that the average American woman is a size 16 (though you might not know it if you live in Los Angeles or New York City), retailers have been notoriously slow to catch up, forcing consumers to search far and few between for fashionable options if they’re a size 16 or above.
Enter CoEdition, a new online marketplace dedicated to “savvy, style-conscious women who have been underserved in the traditional retail landscape.” Those underserved women? The millions of women size 10-26 who feel left out by established online marketplaces like ShopBop, Revolve and flash-sale site Gilt Groupe, which offers amazing options ... if you’re a size 2-10. [Editor’s note: The above sites all offer options up to size XL/14, but pickings are slim.]
CoEdition seeks to level the fashion field a bit, offering a variety of choices to the majority of women who need them. Founded by veterans of fashion and e-commerce—including Gilt Groupe, Gap and Saks Fifth Avenue—the site seeks to gather the best fashion options for women sizes 10-26, at an average price point of $150. Says Brooke Cundiff, co-founder and chief merchandising officer of CoEdition:
The majority of American women are size 10 or higher, yet traditional retailers don’t cater to them. They limit their selection and push their offerings into a corner of the women’s floor or bury it at the bottom of their web page. Fashion has been too exclusionary for too long. We want to change this, starting now.
CoEdition is truly inclusive. CoEdition celebrates this powerful community of women. We have listened to them. We know what they want. We put these women—and a wealth of smart style choices for them—front and center.
Launched Tuesday, CoEdition currently features 18 brands across 13 categories, including Cosabella, Cynthia Rowley, Stuart Weitzman and Tahari. Through $4 million in seed funding led by New Enterprise Associates, the site plans to grow to over 150 brands this year and feature exclusive brand collaborations, including a partnership with Splendid. Says NEA general partner Tony Florence:
The incredible team at CoEdition is going to break down the barriers for so many women in the fashion space. ... Women sizes 10 and above have been underserved in the industry for way too long now, and CoEdition is putting her first—allowing her to discover and gain access to incredible brands, all in one place.